Information on working terriers, dogs, natural history, hunting, and the environment, with occasional political commentary as I see fit. This web log is associated with the Terrierman.com web site.

Monday, March 21, 2016

The Robots Are Coming

I think dog training robots are the wave of the future. They will:

Have perfect timing

Infinite patience

Absolute consistentcy;

How far away are robot dog trainers? Less than a decade I think, though it may take another decade for them to be more-or-less ubiquitous in the marketplace.

These robot dog trainers may or may not appear to be human. They will combine artificial intelligence with motion-tracking cameras, GPS locators, a treat-dispensing box, and vibration-tone-and-stim collars.

At the prices now charged by Board-and-Train facilities, I think a machine might find a commercial application now.

Will it work perfectly right out of the box? Of course not. It will be a mess first time out, and then it will be demonized, and then it will be improved on multiple times, before it is universally accepted.

That’s what happens with MOST technology, by the way, from cars and cell phones, to GPS and E-collars. The only difference now is that the intervals between “bad.” “good,” and “excellent" are getting shorter and shorter.